Southern Soul/Blues/Country collection is built on a Foundation of Blues Songs written in the 1970s and three newer songs, that were written during the Artist’s Musical Renaissance of 2020. IMPERIAL SOUL is another “Fruit” of Creativity developed over 45-plus years of “life experience”. This album marked the beginning of my “Clearing the Vaults” era. This project was the first of two which were produced by JAMES JACKSON, who is affiliated with ECKO RECORDS in Memphis, Tennessee.

I was introduced to James by my Cousin BLUESMAN GEROD RAYBORN, who is a long-time Musician/Songwriter based in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, a city I have adopted as my Second Headquarters Branch Office Location. The album covers the wide spectrum of Southern American Music genres R&B-SOUL, BLUES, GOSPEL and COUNTRY.

This COLLECTION includes the songs:

1. I CAN'T GO BACK 
2. CHECKING YOU OUT
3. IT'S ON YOU (WHATCHA GONNA DO)
4. I'M NOT A GAMBLER
5. GIVING UP ON LOVE
6. HUNG UP ON MY BABY

MEMPHIS PRINCE is another “Fruit” of Creativity developed over 50-plus years of “life experience”. I’m “Clearing the Vaults”. As is usually the case, the songs were Motivated and Inspired by the LOVE/Infatuation I developed for certain women, whether they were actual people or part fantasy. I wanted very much to work with James Jackson, who did most of the Production on Imperial’s first two albums.

For whatever reason, for which I have never gotten a satisfactory explanation, James did not make himself available, so he introduced me to another Memphis-based

musician Durrell Hagen, who has an alias of Memphis Prince. I named this collection in recognition of him.

This COLLECTION includes the songs:

1. MY MELODY: My Melody was inspired by a girl I had a crush on as a teenage college student. I met Melody at church at took a liking to her. Melody was one of the many girls who didn’t reciprocate the feelings I had for her. Composed the Lyrics based on my thoughts at the time. Composed the Music and the “Melody” on an acoustic piano located at the church. Musically, I was thinking of my Musical Father, Isaac Hayes.
2. YOU ARE THE ANGEL: YOU ARE THE ANGEL was written during my teenager stage when I basically worshipped women and girls I liked. I saw this woman as a literal Angel. Her name escapes me now, but it doesn’t really matter. Another case of unrequited Love.
3. WHEN YOU'RE LONELY: was conceived during a rehearsal session with co-band members Gregory Phenix and Melwyn Fields. Greg played a brief chord progression while Melwyn accompanied him on Bass. Neighborhood “friend” Earl was in attendance and he sang one line…”where do you go when you’re lonely?” That was enough for me to build on, along with the Curtis Mayfield vibe reminiscent of “I’m So Proud”.
4. LOVE AND ROMANCE: LOVE AND ROMANCE was/is a song of Special significance, as it was musically inspired by FRANKIE BEVERLY and MAZE. I worked out all the chord changes and progressions on my synthesizer in my basement studio headquarters which I still occupy today. I am using the Original Basement recordings on this. This was around 1985. It was sometime later that I settled on a title and one line of the Chorus…”we can share Love and Romance”. I didn’t complete the Lyrics to this song until the early 2020s (35 or so years later). I dedicated this song to Frankie Beverly, who unfortunately did not hear this completed song. Frankie passed away in 2024, the same year of release of LOVE AND ROMANCE. This is one of several songs I wrote for specific artists to record. That’s what I tell myself, anyhow. This song will be featured with two versions. One by Anwar Kinte (Imperial Brown) and one by my Musical Cousin, Marta Garrett of the Musiversal organization, who appeared on the MINISTRY(By Geechee Lion). 
5. OUR LOVE'S IN DANGER: OUR LOVE’S IN DANGER was inspired by BOBBY WOMACK’s music that I had heard from several albums of his. I envisioned him singing this. I would like to get a recording of this by a singer whose voice and style is closer to Bobby’s. I’m also wanting to get a Southern Soul Female version of this. I did the best I could with my own voice, singing at a lower octave. The foundational Rhythm Guitar by GREGORY PHENIX is reminiscent of Steve Cropper of BOOKER T and THE MGs. The original recording made in my basement is basis for this arrangement.
6. FORBIDDEN LOVE: FORBIDDEN LOVE is about a real-life situation where I had feelings for and attraction to a woman with whom a romantic/sexual relationship would be taboo. Musically I was inspired by Marvin Gaye as a reference. Again, I sat down in front of a keyboard and a tape recorder, with my pen and paper and put the song down. Memorialized it, if you will. The original recording made in my basement, with my Keyboard and Vocal, are the basis for this arrangement.

IMPERIAL SOUL is another “Fruit” of Creativity developed over 45-plus years of “life experience”. This album marked the beginning of my “Clearing the Vaults” era. This project  was the first of two which were produced by JAMES JACKSON, who is affiliated with ECKO RECORDS in Memphis, Tennessee. I was introduced to James by my Cousin BLUESMAN GEROD RAYBORN, who is a long-time Musician/Songwriter based in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, a city I have adopted as my Second Headquarters Branch Office

Location. The album covers the wide spectrum of Southern American Music genres R&B-SOUL, BLUES, GOSPEL and COUNTRY.

This COLLECTION includes the songs:

1. DON'T CALL THE LAW: DON’T CALL THE LAW is one of two songs on this album that one could say were dedicated to/inspired by a Filipina on whom I had developed a crush, over the 20-months of my association with her. She headed a Yoga organization/studio and I was one of her students. Outside of my mother, I spent more hours with this woman than anyone else. I took a liking to her. The thought process of DON’T CALL THE LAW was from the perspective of numerous American men who encountered trouble or backlash for speaking to or looking at a woman in many instances. In America, many men have faced penalties or harmful outcomes due to a woman claiming Sexual Harassment when a man spoke to them or looked at them which in too many cases, it was “Crying Wolf” or “Crying against the Wolf” if you will. I was one of those who suffered.
2. DON'T CALL JODY: DON’T CALL JODY was directed at a “loved one”, letting her know that that if she needed anything, I would be willing to assist her in any way. The Filipina I mentioned earlier is featured in the Music Video for this song, which I have not yet released. However, I will release it in 2026. This Filipina did not show the reaction I expected or wanted, and we soon parted ways afterwards. Musically, DON’T CALL JODY exhibits the influence of my Musical Father, Isaac Hayes. A significant note I make here is that with 24 hours of the song’s release, I received a TELEPHONE CALL from my Mentor MARSHALL THOMPSON of the World-Famous CHI-LITES singing group. He called to tell me, and I quote, “that song is a Monster!”
3. DON'T WALK OUT OF MY LIFE AGAIN: was written during that teenager stage when I basically worshipped women and girls I liked. My Musical tastes were heavily influenced by BLUES, and there was no greater Vocal influence than BOBBY BLUE BLAND. I wrote the Music, the Lyrics, and Performed this song as if I were BOBBY BLUE BLAND Himself. The lyrics are reminiscent of a man in his 40s, although I was only 18 years old. James Jackson did a Masterful job bringing this song to life from the Vaults. Note that my Cousin BLUESMAN GEROD RAYBORN recorded a version of this song, as he was so impressed by it. He intends to include his own Version on an upcoming Traditional Blues Album, to come out in 2026.
4. MOVING TO MEMPHIS: MOVING TO MEMPHIS, another Teenage composition written around the same era as “DON’T WALK” was conceived out of thoughts of going to Memphis, which was a city I enjoyed going to, as a contrast with Chicago. 
5. PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD: PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF THE  LORD was/is a song of Special significance. The evening before I wrote this, I had no thoughts of writing any songs. It was just “another Lonely day” or a “Different Day with the same “Shyt”. On this particular night I awakened about 4AM and for some reason I could not fall back to sleep. After a time, the concept, words and Music came into my mind, and I was compelled to get about of the bed and memorialize this song. My Recording equipment and Keyboards were (and still are) in the same basement where I slept, so I just got up, walked over to the keyboard and started writing. Finished the song in an hour or so. I dedicated this song to CHARLEY PRIDE, who has earned His place in History as one of the GREATEST SINGERS OF COUNTRY MUSIC, of ANY SKIN COLOR or ETHNIC GROUP. Charley and I sing in the same register (Baritone). I was honored to see CHARLEY PRIDE performed Live on two occasions. This song is the Epitome of COUNTRY (SOUTHERN) GOSPEL, as exhibited in the Music of the JACKSON (MISSISSIPPI) SOUTHERNAIRES.